Sponge Ballast System

ABSTRACT

A floatation device of any size or shape stabilized by a ballast system comprised of sponge contained in permeable enclosures, which enclosures in turn are secured to the underside of the device, which sponge, upon contact with water, rapidly absorbs such water and provides prompt, sufficient ballast.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/932,022 filed Feb. 16, 2011 and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/338,349 filed by Stanton Dennis Terrell and Cynthia Mary Shell-Terrell and awarded a filing date of Feb. 18, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to floatation devices and more specifically, as to certain embodiments, to stabilized rescue rafts.

Stabilized survival rafts are well known. For ballast, these rafts rely on a depending, weighted, water-enclosure system. These water-enclosure systems are designed in one of three ways: (one) several depending enclosures along the underside of a raft; (two) one large, depending enclosure under the center of a raft; or (three) several peripheral depending enclosures. These enclosures are sometimes referred to as “water-retaining chambers.” The several depending enclosures is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,854 issued Jul. 11, 1963, to Manhart; the large depending enclosure is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,905 issued Jan. 11, 1977, to Givens; and the several peripheral enclosures is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,559 issued Aug. 12, 1980, to Switlik. These systems remain in use today and represent the state of the art in stabilized survival rafts.

Rescue rafts differ from survival rafts in that they are generally smaller, allowing only one or two occupants, and provide fewer so-called survival supplies. A rescue raft is generally intended to prevent drowning or death from exposure while one awaits rescue, rather than providing for longer-term survival in opens waters, as survival rafts are intended. Rescue rafts use either no ballast system or an ineffective, unweighted water-retaining chamber.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contemplates a floatation device. Ballast is provided by compressed sponge within one or more permeable enclosures attached securely to the underside of the device or to the periphery of the device or both. The permeable enclosures need only (one) allow for rapid entry of fluid, usually water; (two) allow for the expansion of compressed sponge; and (three) provide continued containment of the saturated sponge. The enclosures could be sturdy, with perforation; flexible, with perforation; mesh; or any permeable enclosure capable of allowing sufficient fluid entry, capable of containing compressed and then expanded sponge, and capable of being secured to the underside of a floatation device.

Once the compressed sponge expands from absorption, the ballast provided allows one easily to mount the floatation device without the difficulty typically encountered when one attempts to mount a non-stabilized floatation device, that is, that the opposite side of the device rises, hampering or preventing entry upon the device. Unlike floatation devices fitted with water-retaining chambers, the present invention provides ballast almost immediately upon deployment in water; significantly reduces the risk that a floatation device will overturn due to wind, wave or both; and provides ballast without the additional weight ordinarily required to depend water-retaining chambers.

Other unique features of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a conventional two-person raft showing a suitable placement of the sponge ballast system.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a conventional two-person raft showing the placement of several sponge elements within permeable enclosures.

FIG. 3 is a front-side view of a conventional two-person raft suggesting the permeable enclosures with enclosed sponge elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention includes any floatation device for which ballast is provided by sponge, usually but not necessarily compressed synthetic sponge, contained in one or more permeable enclosures, which enclosures in turn are secured to the underside of the device. As used in this application, “floatation device” or “floatation element” refers to any item capable of providing buoyancy, such as, for instance, inflated synthetic rubber.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a suitable placement of permeable enclosures 14 and 16 of a sponge ballast system 10 according to the present invention, said enclosures indicated with shading, said enclosures being secured to the underside 13 of a floatation device 12 having at least one inflatable element 30, a forward portion 31 with a bow 32, a rear portion 33 with a stern 34, a length extending between the bow 32 and the stern 34, a width that is less than the length, and a floor 36 including inflatable chambers 38. FIG. 2 illustrates a rear portion 33 a and the placement of sponge 18 a within the permeable enclosures 14 a, 16 a in forward portion 31 a, said sponge 18 a indicated by several dots, such as dots 20 a for sponge element 19 a, within a rounded rectangular shape 26 a of a permeable enclosure 27 a. The number of dots is not significant. FIG. 2 indicates generally how the permeable enclosures might be segmented so the each sponge element is separately contained within a separate permeable enclosure in forward portion 31 a, such as a sponge element 19 a within the permeable enclosure 27 a. FIG. 3 suggests permeable enclosures 16 b with enclosed sponge, as might appear on an inflated two-person raft 12 b having a rear portion 33 b and having sponge ballast system 10 b with saturated sponges in a forward portion 31 b. FIG. 3 also indicates generally how the permeable enclosures might be segmented so that each sponge element is separately contained within a separate permeable enclosure, such as sponge element 19 b within a permeable enclosure 27 b.

The sponge ballast system need not be configured as indicated an may be configured in any fashion along the underside or periphery of a floatation device.

The sponge ballast system can be configured to provide ballast of any desired significance by using larger sponge and correspondingly larger permeable enclosures, adding permeable enclosures, stacking permeable enclosures, or any other configurations providing a greater volume of sponge.

The invention may be configured in the shape of a traditional, circular, life preserver or life ring, yet with a floor rather than a middle opening, and configured with the sponge ballast system, allowing one to avoid exposure to water while awaiting rescue.

The invention need not be configured for human occupancy and could be configured, for instance, for use as a transport device over any water, such as might occur, for instance, if one sought to transport items while wading across a river.

A contemplated embodiment of the invention employs compressed cellulose sponge, such as for sponge element 19 b, FIG. 3, contained in perforated Neoprene synthetic rubber, heat sealed along the inflatable element 30 b of a traditional two-person raft 12 b having a bow 32 b and a stern 34 b, with inflatable chambers 38 and 38 a of floor 36 and 36 a as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. The permeable enclosures are configured in segments to allow easy folding and packing. The raft is packaged compactly for storage on or in kayaks, canoes, small boats or small-engine aircraft. This embodiment may be packed with a rope ladder and traditional survival items and in such a fashion as to inflate in an upright position, such as shown in FIG. 3, and is suitable for use in coastal waters.

In certain embodiments, the permeable enclosures could be accessible, allowing removal of saturated sponge, with or without replacement of the saturated sponge with dry sponge.

No attempt is made to illustrate the means of manufacture and securing such ballast system, particularly the permeable enclosures, as this is thought sufficiently obvious as not to require special illustration.

No attempt is made to illustrate the means for inflating a floatation device, as this is thought sufficiently obvious as not to require special illustration.

Finally, it will be understood that various embodiments have been disclosed by way of example, and that other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. 

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A method of providing supplemental ballast to a water-surface floatation device suitable for storage on or in a craft selected from the group consisting of a kayak, a canoe, a small boat and a small-engine aircraft, said method comprising the steps of: placing at least one compressed sponge in each of a plurality of water-permeable enclosures; and attaching said enclosures to the underside of the floatation device so that, when exposed to water, the sponges increase in weight and become saturated to provide supplemental ballast to the floatation device and stabilize the floatation device due to the increased weight of the sponges to allow a user in the water to mount the floatation device without the opposite side of the device rising to hamper or prevent entry upon the device; and wherein the enclosures allow entry of water to contact the sponges and allow expansion and saturation of the sponges.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the water-permeable enclosures are attached to the underside of a forward portion of the floatation device.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the floatation device is selected to have a forward portion with a bow at the front of the forward portion, a stern at the back of a rear portion, and a length that is greater than a width of the floatation device.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the floatation device is inflatable and the water-permeable enclosures are attached to the underside of a forward portion of the floatation device.
 12. The method of claim 8 wherein the floatation device is inflatable, and has a floor with inflatable chambers.
 13. A method of providing supplemental ballast to a water-surface floatation device capable of carrying only one or two human occupants and suitable for storage on or in at least one of a small craft for use on water and a small-engine aircraft, said method comprising: placing at least one compressed sponge in each of a plurality of water-permeable enclosures; and attaching said enclosures to the underside of the floatation device so that, when exposed to water, the sponges increase in weight and become saturated to provide supplemental ballast to the floatation device and stabilize the floatation device due to the increased weight of the sponges to allow a user in the water to easily mount the floatation device without the opposite side of the device rising to hamper or prevent entry upon the device, and wherein the enclosures allow entry of water to contact the sponges and allow expansion and saturation of the sponges.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the water-permeable enclosures are attached to the underside of a forward portion of the floatation device.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the floatation device is selected to have a forward portion with a bow at the front of the forward portion, a stern at the back of a rear portion, and a length that is greater than a width of the floatation device.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the floatation device is inflatable and the water-permeable enclosures are attached to the underside of a forward portion of the floatation device.
 17. The method of claim 13 wherein the floatation device is inflatable, and has a floor with inflatable chambers.
 18. The method of claim 13 wherein the floatation device is configured to enable mounting the floatation device on a side opposite to where the enclosures are attached.
 19. The method of claim 14 wherein the floatation device is configured to enable mounting the floatation device on a side opposite to where the enclosures are attached.
 20. The method of claim 16 wherein the floatation device is configured to enable mounting the floatation device on a side opposite to where the enclosures are attached.
 21. The method of claim 13 wherein the permeable enclosures are accessible to allow removal of saturated sponge.
 22. The method of claim 19 wherein the permeable enclosures are accessible to allow removal of saturated sponge.
 23. The method of claim 20 wherein the permeable enclosures are accessible to allow removal of saturated sponge. 